Identifying tool handle



Oct. 1o, 1939. G, J, PADULO 2,115,481

IDENTIFYING TOOL HANDLE Filed sept. a, 1938 Patented Cet. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE 2,175,481 IDENTIFYING Toor. HANDLE George J. Padulo, Chicago, lll. Application September 8, 1938, Serial No. 228,878

10 Claims.

This invention relates to identifying tool handies designed to signify the ownership of a tool;

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and simple means of identifying the ownership of a tool by suitable indicia or characters, preferably the initials of the name or other identifying mark or monogram of the owner, and being such that it will not become marred and will remain readily and clearly visible and readable from different sides of the handle at all times and will not become loose or displaced to interfere with the reading thereof and cannot be easily tampered with.

Other objects and advantages will appear and be brought out more -f ully in the following speciiication, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a tool shown in the form of a screw driver with an identifying handle in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of another form of the invention;

Fig. 4is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an enlarged central longitudinal section of one end of the handle showing the identifying structure;

Fig. 6 is an edge view of one of the discs carrying the identifying characters;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line '1 -i of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken on the linevS--S of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 7 of the device shown in Figs.- 3 and 4; and

Fig. 11 is an edge elevation of one of the plugs used in the latter construction.`

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I5 is a tool which may be of any character but which for purposes of illustration is shown consisting of a screw driver including a shank Iihaving a bit or tool portion I1 and having the end portion I8 of the shank provided with longitudinal fins or ribs I9 and spiral or other transverse ribs or threads 20 designed to anchor the same within the handle 2|. This handle is preferably cast or molded of some clear, transparent, colorless or colored plastic or thermoplastic material or condensation product, and particularly from material which is ilreproof and of heat and electrical insulating material. 'I'he handle is polysided and, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, has a substantially rectangular or square cross section with opposite faces 22 and 23. The handle is provided centrally and axially from one end with a deep cylindrical bore 24 designedto receive against the end wall thereof', a plurality of plugs or discs 25.shown in this form as cylindrical and superposed facewlse I one upon the other. These plugs may be composed of the same material, as the handle or may be of some contrasting material or color and may be transparent, translucent or opaque, such as white plugs with contrasting characters 26 com- 10 posing a monogram orsimply the initials of the name of the owner and each plug or disc preferably carrying a single character or letter as shown. In other words, the plugs instead of being of the same material as the handle may be of a l5 contrasting material but the characters thereon must be of a contrasting material with respect to the material of the handle and of the plugs. In order to secure the plugs in position, they may be frictionally held in the bore by engagement with 20 the wall thereof or glued or caused to otherwise adhere to and be held against rotation as well as endwise movement in the bore. By way of illustration, the plugs may be held in position by suitable discs 21 illustrated as interposed between the 25 plugs, these discs being very thin and of some suitable transparent. colored and similar or contrasting material or some adhesive substance or adhesive coated substance which will adhere to the opposite facesof the plugs as well as to the 30 wall of the bore as indicated at 2l. As shown, this adhesive is disposed on opposite faces of the discs and also at the edge portions thereof as indicated at 29 so as to adhere to the interior wall of the bore. When these plugs are inserted in the bore, the characters will be readily visible through the opposite faces 22, although they may be provided in line with the faces 23. Preferably, the identifying letters or characters are provided upon diametrically opposite sides, but more especially so as to be visible at alternate sides of the handle. The relation will depend upon the cross sectional shape of the handle. They are then held in position by a cylindrical outer plug 3l preferably of the same material as the handle so as to be comparatively invisible or at least not readily discernible, while still retaining the plugs with the characters thereon in position and being frictionally or adhesively held in position so that the joint between the walls can hardly be noticed. This material or plug Il may be applied while hard or in a soft plastic state so asto harden and join or weld with the material of the handle substantially as a single unitary structure.

The manner of viewlngtheinitialsasshownin Fig.5istaken1ooklngnormalto thewallsorsides 22. whereas Fig. 1 is a view looking at the beveled corners.

In the form shown -in Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 7, the

structure of thetool is the same except that the handle 3| is shown of hexagonal cross section or the same cross section as the handle and the opposite pairs of walls I1 and Il of thebore will ilt correspondingly numbered walls of the plugs with the characters located in the same relation as described in connection with Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 7.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the letters may be printed, raised or depressed so long as they contrast with the handle, but they may contrast with the plugs in order to be readily visible and yet will not become marred to interfere with the convenient reading thereof.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the Vspirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited. to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such ,variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. An identifying tool handle of a transparency having a bore, superposed discs disposed face to face in the bore, and a plug in and entirely closing the outer end of the bore, the first discs bearing characters on their edges forming the lateral walls of the discs contrasting with the material of the handle.

2. An identifying tool handle of a transparency having a bore, at cylindrical plugs disposed face to face in the bore, and a deep imperforate plug in the outer end of the bore, said deep plug being invisible when in position in the handle, the rst plugs bearing contrasting letters collectively forming the initials of a persons name.

3. An identifying tool handle of a transparency having a bore, flat polysided plugs disposed face to face in the bore, a plug in the outer end of the bore, and characters on certain of the ilrst plugs visible at different angles.

4. An identifying tool handle of a transparency having a bore, plugs disposed in superposed relation face to face in the bore and bearing each a character forming an identifying mark together, a plug in the outer end of the bore, said plug being of the same material as the handle. and means adhesively securing the nrst named plugs in position and against turning, and said plugs bearing letters.

5. In combination with a tool handle of transparent plastic material having a bore in the end thereof remote from the tool, a plurality of plugs of plugs bearing identifying initials, adhesive discs between said plugs to secure the same to gether and to the wall of the bore, and a retaining plug in the bore against the aforesaid plugs with the end thereof flush with the end of the handle, the initials on the plugs being located so as to be visible through a plurality of faces of the handle.

7. In a tool, a polysided transparent handle provided with a hole axially thereof, at one end, plugs in the hole with a plurality of spaced initials thereon visible through a plurality of sides of the handle, and a plug in the outer end of the hole against the outer of the ilrst-named plugs invisible through the material of the handle securing the aforesaid plugs in the hole.

8. An identifying tool handle having a hole and a transparent wall, plugs superposed on one another and held against movement in the hole and having a series of corresponding related characters spaced apart on their lateral walls contrastlng with said Wall, and another plug free of characters in the hole against the adjacent plug and securing said first plugs in position.

9. An identifying tool handle of a transparency having a bore in one end, plugs disposed face to face in the bore and another plug in the end of the bore, said ilrst named plugs being of the same material as the handle and bearing contrasting characters on their peripheral edges identifying ownership by a certain person and the second named plug corresponding to the transparency of the handle and being invisible.

10. A tool handle of transparent material having a bore in one end, a plurality of discs superposed facewise to each other and each bearing a plurality of identifying initials on their edges in spaced relation, means to secure the discs in position in the bore, and a hard retaining plug of transparent material secured in the bore against the discs and rendering the joint between it and the wall of the bore indiscernible.

GEORGE J. PADULO. 

